On 14 November 2026, H.E. Ms. Sasirit Tangulrat, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, presided over the Presentation Ceremony of the Royal Kathina Robes graciously bestowed by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua at Tam Chuc Pagoda, Ninh Binh, Viet Nam. The religious rites were presided over by Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Vice Supreme Pratriach, Standing Vice President of Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha and Abbot of Tam Chuc Pagoda.

The ceremony was attended by H.E. Mrs. Nong Thi Ha, Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Viet Nam as guest of honour; H.E. Ms. Urawadee Sriphiromya, Ambassador of Thailand to Viet Nam; Ms. Wichulee Chotbenjakul, Acting Consul-General of Thailand in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Natthapol Na Songkhla, Director of Cultural Diplomacy Division, Department of Information; officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Thai Embassy in Hanoi, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City; as well as Team Thailand, Thailand - Viet Nam Friendship Association, and ThaiCham. Also present at the ceremony were Mr. Nguyen Anh Chuc, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ninh Binh Province; Senior Lieutenant General, Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Chairman of Viet Nam - Thailand Friendship Association; along with Thai and Vietnamese Buddhists.

This year’s Royal Kathina offering received contributions from His Majesty the King, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Thai and Vietnamese devotees, with total donations amounting to 396,622,747 Dong (approximately 522,990 Baht).

Tam Chuc Pagoda is a Mahayana Buddhist temple with a history spanning more than a thousand years. It is the largest Buddhist complex in Viet Nam, covering an area of approximately 5,000 hectares. In 2019, the complex was selected as the venue for the United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations. The Tam The Hall is the most important place of worship within the complex. At its centre, the three bronze Buddha statues, collectively known as the “Buddhas of the Three Times”, are enshrined, representing the past, present and future in accordance with Buddhist philosophy.

This year marks the 18th occasion which the Royal Kathina Robes have been presented in Viet Nam. The ceremony also forms part of the activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Viet Nam. It further reinforces the momentum of goodwill from the State Visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand to Viet Nam in September, at the invitation of H.E. Mr. To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

Since 1995, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organised the Presentation of the Royal Kathina Robes annually at Buddhist temples abroad as part of Thailand’s cultural diplomacy efforts to strengthen friendship and foster people-to-people ties through Buddhism. The initiative has gradually expanded from neighboring countries to ASEAN members, South Asia, and East Asia. In 2026, the Royal Kathina Robes are being presented in six countries - Malaysia, India, Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

The project forms part of Thailand’s cultural diplomacy and public diplomacy efforts to strengthen international relations, particularly people-to-people ties, through shared Buddhist traditions and cultural connections.